Mukhtar Ansari's close aide Jeeva shot dead in Lucknow court

According to sources, a man posing as a lawyer shot and killed Sanjeev Maheshwari, also known as Jeeva, a close associate of imprisoned mobster Mukhtar Ansari, on Wednesday inside a court in Lucknow. The attacker, Vijay Yadav, has been taken into custody. The two police chief constables and a juvenile girl who were hurt in the shooting are currently in stable condition. The event happened two days after Ansari, a former MLA, received a life term in jail for a murder that was committed over 32 years prior. Ansari had already begun his prison sentence when he was found guilty. According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Upendra Agarwal, the police had taken Maheshwari from the Lucknow district jail on Wednesday for a hearing at the court.

According to the police, the attacker started shooting at 3.30 p.m. as Maheshwari was preparing to enter the courtroom. Maheshwari attempted to flee the courtroom but instead collapsed on the floor, according to reports. Yadav was taken hold of by the local attorneys and assaulted before being turned over to the police. Two complaints have been brought against Yadav, who is now receiving medical treatment at a hospital, including one for kidnapping a juvenile. On bond, he was released. Prashant Kumar, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), stated: "After questioning him [the accused], things will become clearer."Keshav Prasad Maurya, the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said he was unaware of the occurrence but added that the police will pursue those responsible for the murder.

A three-person Special Investigation Team has been assembled by Chief Minister Adityanath to look into the killing. The SIT has been directed to investigate the security shortcomings inside the court premises and to finish the inquiry within a week. The event happened around two months after the murders of Atiq Ahmed, a gangster-turned-politician, and his brother Ashraf in front of police officers when they were being escorted to a Prayagraj hospital for a checkup. In this instance, the shooters shot Ahmed and Ashraf as they were speaking to reporters while disguising themselves as journalists.